Get matched with top cabinet refacers and refinishers in Portage, PA

It can take as little as 30 to 60 minutes for wood filler to dry, but some products take up to four hours. Always read labels to ensure you're following the manufacturer’s instructions. Water-based wood fillers typically take longer to dry than oil-based or epoxy-wood fillers, especially when applied to large areas or deep cracks. Wood putty won’t dry completely, remaining slightly pliable.

Yes, you can stain existing kitchen cabinets. Perhaps you’ve moved into a new home but aren’t in love with the existing stain. Luckily, you don’t have to tear out the old cabinets and replace them. You can refinish your kitchen cabinets by removing the old stain—either by sanding or with a chemical stripper—then applying new stain and sealer to achieve the look you want for less than the cost of installing new cabinets.

It’s important to sand your cabinets before you paint them so that your paint job will hold. However, in some cases, you might be able to skip the sanding. For example, you could use certain types of paint, like mineral or chalk paint, that don’t require heavy sanding. You might also be able to use a high quality bonding primer or a liquid deglosser which allows the paint to stick without sanding. 

Yes, sanding cabinets before you stain them helps the new stain better adhere to the surface. If you’re adding a darker stain to previously stained wood, you only have to sand them lightly enough to remove any finish and rough up the wood to improve adhesion. On the other hand, if you’re trying to stain wood that is a darker color or that has paint on it, you need to sand down to the original wood, or the color will show through the new stain.